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ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY by Willie Shannon
Out of the darkness I come, and into the light I go as if death is a part of my life that can be erased, as if those fatal moments could be omitted forever !
What happens when grief is this mad? When grief has blotted out all other thoughts, feelings, hopes, dreams, wonder? Finally exhaustion comes, the body says return to sleep, lie down now to rest, not torment! Nothing has changed! And the earth eats at what is buried inside of it, as it always has. But a kind weariness overtakes the soul , and it seems just possible to wait to weep, to wait to suffer, to wait to die and lie down with them, to have it finished, because only then is all Guilt gone, washed away, when you are as dead as they are! You asked for remorse, now you have it.
For those who read this, its a short piece from my inner self, I was asked 2 years ago by a woman that I still hold dear to me ANJA STADC. Did I feel any remorse for the victim in my case. This is what I came up with, I didn't have to sit and think, these words came to me. Now that I just said some what that I was guilty I shall explain one thing. I never intended for anyone to die. I tried to steal a car. The owner of this car gave me his property while I sat in the car behind the wheel. I placed my gun on the dash (which was only used for a fear factor). After I placed it down the victim punched me and grabbed the weapon. As we struggled for the gun, that now the victim held in his hand. It went off, I never saw where the bullet hit him. I just know that he was not punching me anymore and that he was not in the car window anymore, I drove off. These are the facts in my case. They're not made up. I do take the blame for this mans death. For one reason, if I wouldn't have been trying to steal this mans car, he would be alive.
I am no killer, this was not capital murder. By American law I didn't kill this man, while committing another crime. I removed him of his car before he was shot. My only chance in staying alive, is if the same law that convicted me, also now finds me innocent of capital murder. In which I am. My strongest evidence is the States own witness. He testified that what I said was true, but I still was sentenced to die. The State brought this boy to the stand, to tell what he saw. When he tells them just what I said, they still want to disregard his word.
The only problem that stopped me from being charged with a lesser crime, was that my lawyer, the same one the State paid to represent me didn't file the motion in time to have the jury be able to charge me with either murder, manslaughter or involuntary manslaughter, crimes that are not punishable by death.
The lawyers that the State gave me claimed that he didn't know that it was a law passed that would have allowed me to be charged with a lesser crime. This man has been practising law for over 20 years. This law had always been there, plus, in Sept 4, 1993, I went to court in November 1993. Another law was pasased concerning the same law, but makes it clearer, that if there is proof, evidence, a witness, of a struggle; or a factor that can show that the victim had a part in his/her own death, the defendant is entitled to the clause.
I had all the needed things to prove that what I said happened did. All I needed was for this lawyer to file this one motion that the Judge had to grant. I wouldn't be on Death Row now. I could still have hopes, dreams. I made a mistake, one bad choice, when I was 19 years old. I'm human, we all make mistakes, I just made one that can't be changed.
But these 5 1/2 years I have been on the Row I have grown from a boy into a man. I have sat and watched men die. As they die boys as young as 17 take their place. I would like to share what life on Death Row is like. Why we men are here, what lead us here, you would be surprised to know that one of the biggest reasons there are Death Rows in the world are political, the world wants to cover up what they created, with poverty, drugs and lasat but not least, capitalism. Do you know what is the biggest growing industry today in 1999? No, you are wrong, its not computers. It is prisons, owned by private companies, yes I mean your friends, or better yet your boss. He can own all the land that the prison is on, supply everything for the prison, so this means he profits, from all this free prison labor. Now wait a minute. You might say inmates work in prison cause they committed a crime and they are being punished. Right? True enough, but do you think since he/she has stole five bucks worth of something, and sent to prison, should be forced to slave in a field day in and day out for 15 years. No, I don't think so. It is free labor, inmates are used to grow every kind of food, raise all animals, build homes, anything you name, somewhere in a prison in this country its being made. That is not state owned and ran. Slavery was not abolished, it was covered by a smokescreen. It states that a man/woman shall not be subjected to involuntary servitude, meaning slavery. Work without pay! Unless you commit a crime and are convicted. Then you can and will be subjected to slavery or to be politically correct, involuntary servitude.
I have much more to tell, and share, about the death penalty and prison in general ! If you want to know more, or want to meet a real Dead Man Walking, write to me at:
Willie Shannon # 999086
12 - FF - 71
Polunsky Unit
12002 FM 350 South
Livingston, TX 77351
or log back on, in a few weeks I'll
have new data. or next week, my time is limited !
I am on death row !
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